Creative Fish And Veggies

Chef Kerry Heffernan
Eleven Madison Park
NY, NY

Menu:
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Skate with Sauteed Greens and Potatoes
Roasted Apples with Bread Pudding

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

For the salad:
2 large or 3 medium carrots, cleaned and trimmed
2 large or 3 medium parsnips, cleaned and trimmed
2 large or 3 medium red beets, cleaned and trimmed, leaves reserved
1 bunch watercress, washed and dried
1/4 lb mixed salad greens, washed and dried

For the dressing:
1 egg yolk
1 ounce red wine vinegar
1 ounce water
1 teaspoon dried mustard or 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
5 sprigs marjoram, stems removed and reserved **Note: If you can't find marjoram, you can use sage**
2 or 3 sprigs parsley, stems removed and reserved
3 ounces grape seed or canola oil

For the salad:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place vegetables in three separate pans, one type in each. Season with salt, pepper and sprinkle with canola or grape seed oil. Place 2 to 4 ounces of water in the bottom of the pan and cover with foil. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil after 30 minutes and continue cooking, the carrots for 10 to 15 additional minutes and the beets for about 30 minutes. Roast until vegetables are golden and a knife can be easily inserted.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and peel and slice thin on a bias. Arrange vegetables, alternating colors, on four salad plates. Place a small bouquet of watercress and mixed salad greens on each plate with the vegetables.

For the dressing:
Place egg yolk, vinegar, water, mustard and salt and pepper to taste into a blender. Blend at low speed gradually increasing to high for about 30 to 45 seconds. When dressing becomes frothy, add the herbs and then begin to drizzle in the oil until well blended.

Sprinkle the dressing over the salad greens and vegetables and serve.

Skate with Sauteed Beet Greens and Boiled Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 Yukon gold potatoes, washed
reserved herb stems from the salad
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 1/2 lbs skate on the bone, rinsed and dried
flour or wonder for dredging
3 tablespoons grape seed or canola oil
1 bunch reserved beet greens, washed, dried and tough stems removed
1 stick butter
1 lemon, seeds removed and cut into fillets, juice reserved
5 springs of parsley, chopped

Method: Place the potatoes in pot and cover with water. Add the reserved herb stems and garlic and boil until tender.

Meanwhile, rinse and throughly pat dry skate fillets. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly with flour or wonder. Heat an oven proof saute pan big enough to hold all the fish without crowding. When pan is very hot, add oil and heat until almost smoking. Place skate face side up in pan and cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish and place entire pan into oven for 10 minutes. The fish is done when it falls away from the bone and turns opaque in color. If preparing fish fillet without the bone, omit the oven step and cook fish entirely on the stove top for a total of 7 to 8 minutes.

While the skate is browning on stove top, heat another skillet until very hot. Add beet greens, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 ounces water to pan. Move the greens around frequently and cover for 1 to 2 minutes until tender. Saute until tender about 4 to 7 minutes. Divide cooked greens among four dinner plates.

Drain the potatoes, cut in half and place 2 halves on each place with the beet greens.
Remove the skate from the pan and place on plate overlaying the greens and potatoes, so each is showing.

Wipe out the skate saute pan with clean towel and return to heat. When pan is hot, add remaining butter. When butter has browned and is foaming add lemon fillets and juice and parsley. Toss quickly and pour over the skate and vegetables.

Cider Roasted Apples with Bread Pudding

For pudding:
8 ounces milk
4 slices bread (8 ounces) dried and cubed
2 eggs
2 ounces brown sugar
pinch salt
3/4 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon carmadon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For apples:
2 ounces apple cider
4 apples peeled, each cut into 8 pieces
3 ounces brown sugar

For cider caramel:
10 ounces apple cider
1/4 cup honey

For sour cream topping:
8 ounces sour cream
2 ounce brown sugar

For pudding:
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Bring milk to a boil with cinnamon plus nutmeg. Whisk eggs togther with sugar, honey and vanilla. Slowly pour hot milk over eggs, whisking. Strain mixture and pour over bread crumbsin a prepared pan. Fill the larger casserole with water until it reaches half way up the side of the pudding dish. Place in a oven for 45 minutes to an hour until top is golden and crusty. Remove the pudding from the water bath, cool and slice into four pieces.

For apples:
Heat the apples and sugar in oven proof skillet until apples brown on bottom side. Turn apples and deglaze with cider. Place entire skillet into the oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and reserve.

For cider caramel:
Combine honey and cider in small sauce pot and reduce until the mixture returns to the consistency of honey. Take care not to let the mixture burn, stir often over low heat. This step can be done the night before and refrigerated. When ready to serve, return to heat for a few moments to soften.

For sour cream topping:
Whisk 3 ounces of brown sugar into the sour cream until stiff and well combined.

To serve, divide browned apples among four dessert plates. Top each with a piece of bread pudding. Dollop with sour cream and drizzle with the caramel sauce.